At Last! Chaz Bono Is All Man

A judge today formally signed off on Chaz Bono's petition for his name and gender change to be legally recognized, marking an all-important step in the transformation of the Cher offspring formerly known as Chastity.

"Today the Transgender Law Center represented Chaz Bono in a petition for change of name and gender," said the center's legal director, Kristina Wertz. "The court has granted the petition, and Chaz now has a court name change and a court order recognizing him as male."

It's been a long time coming for the 40-year-old child of Cher and Sonny Bono, who is more than a year into his unavoidably public gender transition. For the record, his name has officially changed from Chastity Sun Bono to Chaz Salvatore Bono.

"Chaz couldn't be happier. This is an important step in his transition and will allow him to change a variety of his identity documents to show who he truly is."

A new birth certificate will be issued to Chaz to reflect the changes.